DROP A Tablespace After a Backup

What happens if you drop a tablespace after it is backed up ?

Here's the backup :

RMAN> backup as compressed backupset database;

Starting backup at 16-FEB-14

using channel ORA_DISK_1

channel ORA_DISK_1: starting compressed full datafile backup set

channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying datafile(s) in backup set

input datafile file number=00002 name=/home/oracle/app/oracle/oradata/orcl/sysaux01.dbf

input datafile file number=00001 name=/home/oracle/app/oracle/oradata/orcl/system01.dbf

input datafile file number=00004 name=/home/oracle/app/oracle/oradata/orcl/users01.dbf

input datafile file number=00003 name=/home/oracle/app/oracle/oradata/orcl/undotbs01.dbf

input datafile file number=00011 name=/home/oracle/app/oracle/oradata/orcl/ORCL/datafile/o1_mf_hemant_8pnowslc_.dbf

input datafile file number=00005 name=/home/oracle/app/oracle/oradata/orcl/example01.dbf

input datafile file number=00010 name=/home/oracle/app/oracle/oradata/orcl/APEX_2614203650434107.dbf

channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 16-FEB-14

channel ORA_DISK_1: finished piece 1 at 16-FEB-14

piece handle=/home/oracle/app/oracle/flash_recovery_area/ORCL/backupset/2014_02_16/o1_mf_nnndf_TAG20140216T080419_8vvnzn37_.bkp tag=TAG20140216T080419 comment=NONE

channel ORA_DISK_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:02:36

channel ORA_DISK_1: starting compressed full datafile backup set

channel ORA_DISK_1: specifying datafile(s) in backup set

including current control file in backup set

including current SPFILE in backup set

channel ORA_DISK_1: starting piece 1 at 16-FEB-14

channel ORA_DISK_1: finished piece 1 at 16-FEB-14

piece handle=/home/oracle/app/oracle/flash_recovery_area/ORCL/backupset/2014_02_16/o1_mf_ncsnf_TAG20140216T080419_8vvo4k8w_.bkp tag=TAG20140216T080419 comment=NONE

channel ORA_DISK_1: backup set complete, elapsed time: 00:00:01

Finished backup at 16-FEB-14

RMAN>

Here's the subsequent DROP TABLESPACE :

SQL> drop tablespace APEX_2614203650434107 including contents and datafiles;

Tablespace dropped.

SQL>

What happens when I try to LIST the BACKUP of the datafile / tablespace ? 

RMAN> list backup of datafile 10;

RMAN-00571: ===========================================================

RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS ===============

RMAN-00571: ===========================================================

RMAN-03002: failure of list command at 02/16/2014 08:07:44

RMAN-20201: datafile not found in the recovery catalog

RMAN-06010: error while looking up datafile: 10

RMAN>

RMAN> list backup of tablespace APEX_2614203650434107;

RMAN-00571: ===========================================================

RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS ===============

RMAN-00571: ===========================================================

RMAN-03002: failure of list command at 02/16/2014 08:12:12

RMAN-20202: Tablespace not found in the recovery catalog

RMAN-06019: could not translate tablespace name "APEX_2614203650434107"

RMAN>

What does a full LIST BACKUP OF DATABASE show ?

RMAN> list backup of database ;

List of Backup Sets

===================

BS Key  Type LV Size       Device Type Elapsed Time Completion Time

------- ---- -- ---------- ----------- ------------ ---------------

4       Full    799.58M    DISK        00:02:30     16-FEB-14     

        BP Key: 4   Status: AVAILABLE  Compressed: YES  Tag: TAG20140616T080419

        Piece Name: /home/oracle/app/oracle/flash_recovery_area/ORCL/backupset/2014_02_16/o1_mf_nnndf_TAG20140216T080419_8vvnzn37_.bkp

  List of Datafiles in backup set 4

  File LV Type Ckp SCN    Ckp Time  Name

  ---- -- ---- ---------- --------- ----

  1       Full 14093203   16-FEB-14 /home/oracle/app/oracle/oradata/orcl/system01.dbf

  2       Full 14093203   16-FEB-14 /home/oracle/app/oracle/oradata/orcl/sysaux01.dbf

  3       Full 14093203   16-FEB-14 /home/oracle/app/oracle/oradata/orcl/undotbs01.dbf

  4       Full 14093203   16-FEB-14 /home/oracle/app/oracle/oradata/orcl/users01.dbf

  5       Full 14093203   16-FEB-14 /home/oracle/app/oracle/oradata/orcl/example01.dbf

  10      Full 14093203   16-FEB-14

  11      Full 14093203   16-FEB-14 /home/oracle/app/oracle/oradata/orcl/ORCL/datafile/o1_mf_hemant_8pnowslc_.dbf

RMAN>

Datafile 10 appears as a NULL entry. It cannot be restored as it no longer belongs to the database. 

A RESTORE obviously fails : 

RMAN> restore datafile 10;

Starting restore at 16-FEB-14

using channel ORA_DISK_1

RMAN-00571: ===========================================================

RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS ===============

RMAN-00571: ===========================================================

RMAN-03002: failure of restore command at 02/16/2014 08:15:32

RMAN-20201: datafile not found in the recovery catalog

RMAN-06010: error while looking up datafile: 10

RMAN>

So, there you have it.  Once a datafile doesn't belong to the database it cannot be restored.